Local authorities have reported large increases in household waste arisings during the Covid-19 outbreak and huge falls in commercial waste arisings, according to an ADEPT survey.

CIWM’s online match-making service WasteSupport is set to launch this week linking local authorities experiencing problems with waste collection services with commercial waste contractors to keep waste moving during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) is pressing households to think of waste worker safety and reminding them not to throw WEEE in the bin during the coronavirus outbreak.

With waste operatives across the country going the extra mile during the Covid-19 crisis to keep waste and recycling collections going, residents have been making their appreciation felt for all their hard work.

Waste operatives belonging to the trade union Unite working for Biffa Waste Services in Wirral have staged a walkout over Covid-19 safety concerns, with the waste management company refuting claims that it had failed to take work safety seriously.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has released guidance to local authorities on prioritising waste collection services during the coronavirus outbreak.

The government has announced grant funding of £3.25 million to be made available to food redistribution organisations to ensure surplus food can reach those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first results from an ADEPT online survey for English local authorities to establish the impact of Covid-19 on waste and recycling services show the majority of services are continuing, but certain services such as garden and bulky waste collections have been hard hit.

The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) has launched an online survey for local authorities across England to establish the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on waste and recycling services.

With waste workers deemed ‘key workers’ and essential to keeping public services running, leading industry associations have raised concerns over how to keep waste operatives safe during the coronavirus outbreak.